''It seemed an outrageous proposal, to run a street race around Dunedin streets,'' Mr Oakley says.

''His answer was 'what a great idea; if it works I'll take the credit, and if it doesn't you take the blame' - a typical Len Wright response.''

With the help of many in the community, including the Territorials, the traffic police, business people, and MP Jim Barnes, arrangements for the First Dunedin Road Race fell into place.

Mr Oakley designed the 1.8 mile circuit, which started on Fryatt St, headed north to Wickliffe St, back along Ward and Thomas Burn streets before turning left back into Fryatt St at the Steamer Basin.

New Zealand's best drivers, including Ron Roycroft, Syd Jensen, Pat Hoare, and Bob Gibbons entered, with Roycroft winning with a time of 1hr 18min and 28sec over the 43 laps.

The following year the track was modified slightly, and again in 1957 and 1958.

Motor racing in New Zealand was becoming popular, with Formula One drivers visiting to race during the Northern Hemisphere off season. Amongst them were future Formula One champion Jack Brabham, who was beaten by English driver Reg Parnell in the Fifth Dunedin Road Race in 1957.

Bruce McLaren was also in that race, and later purchased the Cooper Brabham had brought to New Zealand. That was when his racing career really began, as a handful of good results (including second in Dunedin in 1958) earned him the inaugural "Driver to Europe" selection.

From there, McLaren became a huge force in international motor sport, before his untimely death at England's Goodwood Circuit in 1970.

In Dunedin, road races were held until 1965 on the Wharf and Oval Circuits. Mr Oakley wasn't involved in the later races.

''I was convinced it could be done and had set out to prove it,'' he says.

''After about three years other businessmen had come to the fore, and you could say the professionals had taken over from the amateurs a bit.''

He'd love to see road racing back in Dunedin, and is convinced in the right hands it could happen again.

''Somebody would have to grab it by the scruff of the neck,'' Oakley considers. ''It would have to be a person and not a committee. If you want to do something outrageous do not have a committee.''